Pirunkirkko Protected Forest

The Pirunkirkko Protected Forest is a small conservation area of about 74 hectares located near the Paljakka Strict Nature Reserve. Pirunkirkko is suitable both as a destination for a day trip and as a stop along a longer hike. At the heart of the protected forest, the Louhenjoki River flows through a rocky gorge. Along the river lies a rock formation known as the Devil’s Pulpit.

The Pirunkirkko area is accessed from the same Holstintie parking area as the Ilveskierros Trail leading into the Paljakka Strict Nature Reserve. However, to reach Pirunkirkko, you need to follow the Ilveskierros Trail in the opposite direction from the reserve. The Pirunkirkko Protected Forest is usually a peaceful area.

The Pirunkirkko day-use hut is located within the area. About two kilometres from Pirunkirkko, on the border of the Paljakka Strict Nature Reserve, lies the Ilveskota hut. Unlike in the Strict Nature Reserve where access is strictly limited, you may move about in the Pirunkirkko Protected Forest under everyman's rights. Lighting a fire is only allowed at designated campfire sites.

The banks of the Louhenjoki River near Pirunkirkko and the Devil’s Pulpit are gravelly and sloping, so caution is advised. There are no guardrails in the area.

For activities beyond everyman’s rights, such as scientific research or organised events, a permit from Metsähallitus is generally required. More information on required permits: Research and access permits (metsa.fi) and Event permits and notifications (metsa.fi).

The trail to Pirunkirkko is easy to walk, and bridges and duckboards have been built in wet or steep sections. Nevertheless, sturdy weather-appropriate footwear is recommended, as you need to be cautious at the viewpoint. Two longer hiking trails pass through the Pirunkirkko area – the Ilveskierros Trail (12 km) and the Köngäskierros Trail (62 km). In winter, the 18-kilometre maintained Latvavaara ski trail runs through the area and connects to a wider trail network.

Angling in the Louhenjoki River is allowed under everyman’s rights. For lure fishing, both the fisheries management fee (eraluvat.fi) and Metsähallitus’s Northern Ostrobothnia–Kainuu recreational fishing permit 5411 (eraluvat.fi) are required. Fishers must check current fishing restrictions at kalastusrajoitus.fi.

The old-growth forest area of the Pirunkirkko Protected Forest is part of the Puolanka small game hunting area 5608 (eraluvat.fi). The Pirunkirkko area also belongs to the Puolanka Paljakka moose hunting area (eraluvat.fi). Local residents have what is known as free hunting rights.

The steep-walled gorge, with its cliffs and slopes, offers a variety of habitats. The shaded cliff face has cool and moist conditions, while the sun-facing slope is warm and at times exposed to scorching sunlight. In the cracks of the rock grow lichens and grasses well adapted to drought, such as matgrass (Nardus stricta) and other pioneer species typical of rocky environments. Although there are no particularly rare species, in Kainuu, both goldmoss stonecrop (Sedum acre) and knawels (Scleranthus) grow only in a few places.

The walls of the Louhenjoki gorge rise up to 20 metres above the river in some spots. At Portinkoski, the river narrows to just about two metres across and is bordered by vertical cliffs three to four metres high. The area around the rapid is strewn with large boulders, whose shapes have long sparked the imagination.

There are many stories about how Pirunkirkko (“Devil’s Church”) got its name. One tale claims that a former vicar of Puolanka named the place after a large rock resembling a pulpit. According to another story, during a logging operation in the area, a lumberjack climbed into the “pulpit” to tell tall tales, prompting someone to comment that he preached like the devil in church.

Most of the Pirunkirkko Protected Forest consists of old, moss-covered spruce forest. The moist microclimate supports hanging lichens such as beard moss (Usnea). In hollows within the forest are small groves, where in early summer one can spot blooming wood cranesbill (Geranium sylvaticum) and May lily (Maianthemum bifolium). In the most fertile patches, meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) also grows. Wood sorrel (Oxalis acetosella), which is common in southern Finland, is rare in this northern region of Kainuu, but can be found in the shade of spruces (Picea abies) along the trail, together with wild strawberries (Fragaria). The area hosts many species dependent on decaying wood, including polypores and cavity-nesting birds.

The river valley forests are dominated by birch (Betula) and are subject to seasonal flooding. In spring, floodwaters prevent the growth of moss, so the ground vegetation mainly consists of sedges (Cyperaceae), grasses, and – farther from the river – lush herbs like meadowsweet and wild angelica (Angelica sylvestris). Several species of ferns can also be found here.

Logging began in the Puolanka region already in the late 19th century, peaking in the early 20th century. The last major logging operation in the area took place in 1957–1958. Near Porttikoski, remnants of old logging infrastructure are visible along a 150-metre stretch. These include various pits, stone structures resembling walls, and old logs. The riverbank has been reinforced with stones to ease movement when transporting timber. The logs are part of an old timber chute used to float logs past the rapid.

The Pirunkirkko landscape is varied and rich in detail. The mires in the area are small-scale, wooded mires that reflect the nutrient richness of the soil. These spring-fed mires are characterised by an abundance of grasses and herbs. The species are similar to those found in groves, but mosses, sedges and grasses are more prominent. In the wettest patches, marsh marigold (Caltha palustris) and dwarf marsh violet (Viola epipsila) bloom in spring.

The Louhenjoki River hosts a diverse aquatic flora. The white, buttercup-like flowers seen on the water surface belong to Ranunculus kauffmannii, and the floating star-shaped rosettes in calmer coves belong to Callitriche cophocarpa and vernal water-starwort (Callitriche palustris). The river is also home to bur-reed (Sparganium) and various species of pondweed (Potamogeton). On the west side, mineral-rich waters from springs and mires flow down the cliffs into the river in several places. At these seepage points, the vegetation is lusher than on the surrounding rocks. A small brook also flows into the river from the west, though in dry summers it may almost completely dry up.

The Pirunkirkko Protected Forest is a fairly small area, so the presence of large mammals is occasional, as they require wide territories. However, all of Finland’s large carnivores roam the greater Paljakka area. The flying squirrel (Pteromys volans) nests in the Pirunkirkko area at least in some years. Otters (Lutra lutra) also move along the river, leaving behind winter tracks widened by their webbed feet and long belly slides in the snow.

The birdlife of the area is diverse considering its size, and consists of species that thrive in old forests and near flowing water. There is an abundance of cavity-nesters, such as various tits, and woodpeckers that benefit from dead wood. The three-toed woodpecker (Picoides tridactylus), a specialist of mature coniferous forests, drills funnel-shaped holes into the bark of dead spruces while searching for larvae – eventually detaching the bark completely. White-throated dipper (Cinclus cinclus) appear on the Louhenjoki River already in late winter, and in spring mornings, the melancholic call of the common sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos) can be heard echoing through the valley.